I Tre Mercanti

By Durant Imboden

In a city where the
word "shopping" is normally associated with Murano glass, Carnival masks, and
the Venetian outposts of name-brand Italian fashion designers,
I Tre Mercanti
("The Three Merchants") is a welcome anomaly. The upscale shop offers a
handpicked selection of wines and gourmet foods that change with the season--and
which can be taken home in a suitcase or shipped abroad, making the store a
prime shopping destination for foodies from afar.

ABOVE: Roberto Caruti, manager of I Tre
Mercanti, spent nine years with Gucci before he and his two partners opened
their upmarket wine and food shop near the Piazza San Marco in Venice.

I Tre Mercanti is the brainchild of Roberto Caruti, a longtime
Gucci employee, and two friends--one an executive with an Italian company on the
Venetian mainland, and the other a leading glassmaker on Murano. Signor Caruti
explains how the store came about:

"I was working for Gucci in England, and one day I was talking
on the phone to Andrea della Valentina in Murano. We were discussing how hard it
was for visitors to find really good Italian foods, and I suggested the idea of
a beautiful shop with the best Italian wines and foods and the kind of service
you'd find at a store like Gucci."

It wasn't long until Caruti and his two friends had formed a
partnership and were visiting growers, culinary artisans, and trade fairs throughout
Italy. Over the next two years, they tested thousands of foods and wines,
eliminating about 90 percent of the candidates before negotiating supplier
agreements with vendors who'd made the cut.

The partners also found a great store location on the border of
San Marco and Castello, just a few blocks north of the Basilica and Piazza di
San Marco. After a major (and expensive) renovation of its new quarters, I Tre
Mercanti opened for business in 2007. It's well worth a visit, whether you're
shopping for gifts or looking for mementos of Italy that you can enjoy
after--and even before--you go home.

If you're arriving in Venice by car, a hotel in
Mestre or Marghera
(on the Italian mainland) may be convenient.

If it's summer and you love beach resorts, the
Lido di Venezia is a
good choice.

Otherwise, we urge you to stay in Venice's
historic center, for a simple reason: Venice is at its best in early
morning and the evening, when daytrippers are gone and you can enjoy the
city without the crowds.